Kandahar exports 2.5 tonnes of honey to Turkey, other countries

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): The Kandahar Department of Agriculture and Livestock says that 2,500 kilograms of honey have been exported from the province to Turkey and several other countries during the current year.

Dr. Abdulwarith Haqmal, an economic specialist in the Beekeeping Department at the Kandahar Department of Agriculture and Livestock, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 56 tons of honey have been produced by beekeeping farms across the province during the current solar year.

Without providing further details, he said that two and a half tons of the total production have, for the first time, been exported to Turkey and a number of other countries.

“This year, for the first time, two and a half tons of honey have been exported from Kandahar to Turkey and a few other countries,” Haqmal said. “This honey is produced from basil flowers and is highly popular. The exports were carried out by private companies, and efforts are underway to find additional international markets for Afghan honey.”

He added that there are nearly 100 beekeeping farms in Kandahar, although the number fluctuates as farms are relocated to other provinces at different times due to climate conditions.

Local beekeepers say that improved packaging and marketing would significantly boost demand for Kandahar honey, benefiting both traders and farm owners economically.

Abdul Bari, a beekeeping farm owner in Kandahar’s Dand district, said he has been working in the sector for several years and has trained others, but access to markets remains a major challenge.

“If honey has a strong market and the import of unidentified foreign honey is prevented, we can produce large quantities,” he said.

Another beekeeper, Mohammad Omar, called on authorities to assist farmers by providing bee medicines and essential equipment, noting that many beekeepers still suffer losses due to a lack of professional training and proper tools.

“Our bees died several times, and we did not know how to deal with the situation until professionals helped us,” he said. “We request that beekeepers be provided with training and equipment so they are not forced to abandon their farms.”

Basil-flower honey is the most common type produced in Kandahar, though smaller quantities of litchi and wild honey are also harvested. A kilogram of basil-flower honey sells for between 400 and 600 Afghanis, while honey from other flowers is sold at lower prices.

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